This Seventeenth Independent Battery was recruited in Orange to be a part of Colonel Van Wyck's "Tenth Legion" or 56th Regiment. It arrived in Washington November 11, 1861, and was organized as an independent battery January 10, 1862. It was first assigned to Casey's, afterwards Peek's division. It also served in the Seventh Corps, then in the Second division of the Eighteenth Corps, at Bermuda Hundred a short time in the Tenth Corps, and when mustered out formed a part of the artillery brigade of the Twenty-fourth Corps. It was in the siege of Yorktown, the battles of Williamsburg, Savage's Station, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, the siege of Suffolk, and was in action at Petersburg, Dutch Gap, Fort Harrison, Hatcher's Run and Port Walthal. It was in the investment of Petersburg and Richmond. It suffered most severely at Fair Oaks. Its record was good throughout. Its commissioned officers were:
Captain: Peter C. Regan. First Lieutenants: Eugene Scheibner, Abram Kniffin, Martin V. McIntyre, John S. Bennett. Second Lieutenants: Abram Kniffin, Charles S. Harvell, Abram Smith, Wm. H. Lee, Edward Kelly, John B. Brosen, Jr.
The First Regiment of Engineers, known as Serrell's, had in its ranks, it was said, 300 or 400 men from Orange County. Its detachments were mustered in between September 10, 1861, and February 12, 1862. The regiment retained its organization until June 30, 1865, when it was mustered out, but there were various changes in its composition. It was an important regiment in the engineering part of the service.
Company C of the 98th N. Y. S. V., was mostly recruited in Newburgh in the winter of 1863-4 by Captain James H. Anderson and Lieutenant J. K. R. Oakley, who had been in the 168th Regiment. They went to Riker's Island in February, 1864, and here consolidation requirements caused Co. C to consist of ninety-five Orange County men under Captain Anderson and Lieutenants Oakley and Sneed, and twenty-four were assigned to Co. I under Captain E. M. Allen. The record of the regiment was one of the best. It fought at Drury's Bluff, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. At Drury's Bluff it saved General Buller's army from a flank attack: at Cold Harbor it lost in killed and wounded 100 men; at Petersburg it charged the outer line of the enemy's works and was almost constantly under fire. Its colors were the first to be planted at Fort Harrison on September 29, 1864, and it was the first regiment to enter Richmond after the evacuation. After the surrender of Lee it was on post and garrison duty in several places, and was mustered out at Richmond August 31, 1865. Of the men who went out with Captain Anderson, thirteen were killed or died of wounds, twenty-three wounded, and five died of disease.
MONEY RAISED FOR THE WAR.
The following totals were raised by official action from town taxes, loans, state cash and bonds, for the towns named for war purposes:
Blooming Grove, $60,900; Chester, $54,192.67; Cornwall, $69,200; Crawford, $84,187.12; Deer Park, $242,981.83; Goshen, $83,233.05; Greenville, $54,016.45; Hamptonburgh, $21,000; Minisink, $57,271.62; Monroe, $160,968.65; Montgomery, $57,250; Mount Hope, $62,888.24; Newburgh, $455,637; New Windsor, $48,715,55; Wallkill, $95,100; Warwick, $201,070; Wawayanda, $51,750.
By the County: From taxes, 1864, $1,800; 1865, $90,649.50; from loans, 1864, $421,000; total, $513,449.50.
Towns and County: From taxes, 1862, $31,931; 1863, $2,000; 1864, $350,434.95; 1865, $257,581.82; from loans, 1862, $31,950; 1863, $35,318.70; 1864, $1,113,761.82; 1865, $229,278.41.
From State: Cash, $76,000; bonds, $252,000.53; interest on bonds, $3,473.51; other sources, $105.